By MARY O’CONNOR IN HUNTERSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Published: 23:04 BST, 9 September 2025 | Updated: 23:04 BST, 9 September 2025

The aunt of a Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death by a career criminal has spoken out for the first time in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail.

Iryna Zarutska, 23, was attacked on August 22 as she sat unsuspectingly on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, allegedly by career criminal Decarlos Brown Jr.

Video of the assault sparked nationwide shock, with Donald Trump calling the killing ‘horrible’ and hinting the city could be the next target for the National Guard.

There has been widespread alarm the story was initially ignored by the national liberal media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and CNN.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail near her home in Huntersville, Iryna’s aunt Valeria Haskell said the family are ‘exhausted’ after the national storm.

She revealed Iryna’s mother has been so horrified she is too scared to leave their house, in the latest blow to the family on top of Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine.

Her comments come as exclusive Daily Mail photos showed Iryna’s heartbreaking grave site, covered in an array of colorful mushroom stickers and a picture of her.

In an obituary written by her family, she is described as a talented artist and animal lover, who it says will be remembered for ‘her kindness and creativity’.

Haskell told the Daily Mail on Tuesday: ‘I feel like people can’t imagine what we are going through.’

She appeared haunted as she was seen walking the family’s two dogs, closely followed by their two cats, in the quiet neighborhood.

The 56-year-old, who is Iryna’s aunt through her marriage to husband Frank Scott Haskell, said the family have ‘been living for three years in incredible pain’ with the ongoing bloody war in their native Ukraine.

She said they need ‘time’ and ‘space’ and that they do not want to make a ‘show’ of their grief, adding: ‘I have no words’.

The family are struggling to cope with the intense interest in Iryna’s horrific killing, she said, adding that Iryna’s mother, Anna, is too scared to leave the house.

Just days after Iryna was laid to rest, her aunt took to Facebook to share a photograph of the pair smiling together in happier times.

Exclusive Daily Mail photographs showed the heartbreaking site of Iryna’s grave on Tuesday, after she was buried near her home on August 27.

The slab, which is set on a sunny hilltop, had 20 black marble compartments housing cremation urns, with Iryna’s catching the eye with dozens of colorful stickers.

On the drawer is a gilded framed photograph of the striking young woman with long blonde hair.

Iryna had fled Vladimir Putin’s bombs in her native Ukraine with her mother Anna, brother and sister, and believed she had found safety in the US.

She had dreams of being a veterinary assistant and often walked neighbors’ pets in the neighborhood.

Her death has sparked huge criticism across the country over how authorities in the Democrat City have handled it.

It includes a North Carolina judge who released Brown to the streets just seven months before he allegedly killed the Ukrainian refugee.

Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes freed homeless Brown in January, despite his litany of previous arrests – including for armed robbery and assault – to walk free on a ‘written promise’ that he would return for his next court appearance.

Brown allegedly stabbed Iryna to death at South End light rail station in Charlotte on August 22.

He was arrested soon after and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was then charged with first-degree murder.

Iryna had only recently arrived in the US ‘seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning’, her family said on a GoFundMe page.

Brown’s previous crimes saw him serve five years in prison for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September, 2020.

Just months after his release from prison, in February 2021, Brown was arrested for assaulting his sister in Charlotte and leaving her with minor injuries, according to police records obtained by the Daily Mail.

It’s unclear whether he was convicted. That same month, he was also arrested for injury to personal property and trespassing.

A police report from that incident said Brown ‘returned to the address after being told he was not allowed back and kicked and damaged the front door of the listed victim’s residence.’

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In July 2022, Brown was then arrested again for a domestic disturbance. It’s unclear whether he was convicted.

‘[Brown] was arrested for disorderly conduct. The suspect was yelling and cursing, causing a disturbance and drawing the attention of multiple tenants while on the property the call for service was located,’ read the police report.

Brown’s arrest records go as back as 2007, when he was still a minor.

Over the next seven years, he was arrested at least six times for crimes including felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats.

According to the Charlotte Observer, most of the charges he faced during that time were dropped.

Iryna’s funeral was held on August 27 in Charlotte and an online obituary paid poignant tribute to ‘her kindness and creativity’.

The obituary listed online reads: ‘Born on 22 May 2002, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Iryna was the beloved daughter of Anna Zarutska and Stanislav Zarutskyi.

In August 2022, she emigrated from Ukraine with her mother, sister and brother to escape the war and quickly embraced her new life in the United States.

‘A gifted and passionate artist, Iryna graduated from Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in Art and Restoration. She shared her creativity generously, gifting family and friends with her artwork.

‘She loved sculpting and designing unique, eclectic clothing that reflected her vibrant spirit.

‘Iryna also had a deep love for animals. She often cared for her neighbors’ pets, and many fondly remember seeing her walking them through the neighborhood, always with her radiant smile.

‘She dreamed of pursuing a career as a Veterinary Assistant while also working toward her independence by learning to drive.

‘Remarkably, she became fluent in English within a very short time, reflecting her determination and love of learning.

‘Though she enjoyed adventures, sightseeing, and exploring new places with her close friends, Iryna was also a homebody at heart, happiest when surrounded by family and loved ones.

‘Her mother lovingly recalls her ability to sleep for wonderfully long stretches – something she affectionately called an ‘artist’s gift.’

‘Iryna is survived by her parents, Anna and Stanislav; her sister, Valeriia; her brother, Bohdan; her life partner, Stas Nikulytsia; aunt, Valeria Haskell (Frank Scott); her cousins, Vera Falkner and Viktor Falkner; and many cherished family members and friends.

‘Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met. Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her.

‘Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met.

‘Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her.’

Tragically, as a man of fighting age, her father, Stanislav, could not leave Ukraine to attend her funeral in Charlotte, a neighbor told the New York Post.